Algosim documentation: ^

^ (circumflex)

The exponentiation operator.

Syntax

Description

Real numbers

If a is a real (or complex) number and n a positive integer, a^n is equal to the product of n factors each equal to a. This also applies for n = 0 unless a = 0 as well; 0^0 is undefined and will generate an error (“zero raised to the power of zero”).

If n is a negative integer, a^n is defined as 1/a^−n unless a = 0 which is again undefined and will generate a program error (“division by zero”).

If a is a non-negative real number and q a positive integer, a^(1/q) is defined as the unique non-negative real number ξ such that ξ^q = a.

Finally, if a is a non-negative real number, p is an integer and q a positive integer, a^(p/q) is defined as [a^(1/q)]^p, subject to the above restrictions if a = 0.

This defines a^b completely for floating-point numbers.

For a > 0, a^b equals exp(b⋅ln(a)).

Complex numbers

If a and b are complex numbers with a ≠ 0, then a^b is defined as exp(b⋅ln(a)). Notice that this also defines a^b for a and b real, a < 0, and b non-integral.

If a = 0 and Re(b) > 0, then a^b = 0.

Matrices

If A is a square matrix and n a non-negative integer, then A^n is the product of n factors all equal to A, the empty product being the identity matrix the size of A. This also applies if A is the zero matrix.

If n is a negative integer, then A^n = inv(A)^n = inv(A^n) assuming A is non-singular. If A is singular, A^n is undefined and generates an error.

A^b is not defined for non-integral b. However, if A is a positive semidefinite matrix, its unique positive semidefinite square root can be computed as A or sqrt(A). Computing A^(1/2) is not supported.

Cartesian products

If A is a set or a list and n a small positive integer, then A^n returns the Cartesian product A ×× A, the product containing exactly n factors.

No hard limit on the size of n is enforced, but since the cardinality of A^n equals #A^n, you will run out of memory if #A is not very small and n not a very small integer. For instance, if #A = 1000 and n = 4, #A^n = 1 000 000 000 000 which is far more than the system can handle.

Notes

The ^ operator is implemented by the power function.

Examples

∑((−1)^n/n!, n, 0, 100)
0.367879441171	(=e⁻¹)
π^i
0.413292116102 + 0.910598499213⋅i
A ≔ ❨❨3, i❩, ❨−i, 2❩❩
⎛ 3   i⎞
⎝−i   2⎠
A^5
⎛   450   275⋅i⎞
⎝−275⋅i     175⎠
A^−2
⎛   0.2  −0.2⋅i⎞
⎝ 0.2⋅i     0.4⎠
ScatterPlot([0, 10, 1]^3)

Image 1

See also